Her fingers were starting to sizzle and Stevie Rae was biting her lip to keep from screaming and screaming and screaming . . . Over here. The metal is rusted and thinner, weaker. Stevie Rae pulled her hands down, automatically clutching them under her armpits and, bent backed, rushed to him. She saw the rusted metal and grabbed ahold of it with both hands, and then pulled with all her might. It gave a little, but her hands had started to smoke, as had her wrists. Oh, Goddess! she gasped. I'm not gonna make it. Get back, Rephaim, I'm already startin' to-- Instead of running from her, he moved as close to her as he could get, spreading his good wing so that it provided some shade. Then he raised his uninjured arm and took hold of the rusted grate. Think of the earth. Concentrate. Do not think of the sun and the sky. Pull with me. Now! In the shadow of his wing, Stevie Rae grabbed the grate on either side of his hand. She closed her eyes and ignored the burning of her fingers and the sensitivity of her skin that was screaming at her to run! Run anywhere, just get out of the sun! Instead she thought about the earth, cool and dark, waiting underneath her like a loving mama.

Stevie Rae pulled. With a metallic snap the grate broke, leaving an opening just big enough for one person at a time to slip out of. Rephaim stepped back. Go! he said. Quickly. The instant Stevie Rae was no longer covered by his wing, her body flushed and, literally, began to smoke. Instinctively, she dropped to the floor and curled into a ball, trying to shield her face with her arms. I can't! she cried, frozen with pain and panic. I'll burn up. You will burn if you stay here, he said. Then he pulled himself up through the opening and was gone. He'd left her. Stevie Rae knew he was right. She had to get out of there, but she couldn't push through the paralyzing fear. The pain was too much. It was like her blood was boiling in her body. Just when she thought she couldn't bear it any longer, a small, cool shadow fell on her. Take my hand! Squinting against the cruel sun, Stevie Rae looked up. Rephaim was there, crouched on the grate, his good wing spread above her, blocking as much of the sun as possible, his uninjured arm reaching for her. Now, Stevie Rae. Do it! She followed his voice and the coolness of his dark wing and grabbed his hand. He couldn't pull her up by himself. She was too heavy and he only had one arm. So she thrust out her other hand, took hold of the metal, and chinned herself up.

Come to me. I will shield you. Rephaim opened his wing. Without any hesitation Stevie Rae stepped into his embrace, burying her head in the feathers of his chest, and wrapping her arms around him. He enfolded her with his wing and lifted her. Get me to the tree! Then he was running, lurching, and limping, but running across the rooft op. The backs of Stevie Rae's arms were exposed, as was some of her neck and shoulders, and as he ran she burned. With a detached, out-of-body feeling she wondered what that terrible noise was that rang in her ears, and then she realized it was her voice. She was screaming her pain and terror and anger. At the edge of the roof he yelled, Hold on. I'm jumping to the tree. The Raven Mocker leaped. His body tumbled, spiraling because of his lack of balance, and they crashed into the tree. Adrenaline helped Stevie Rae keep her hold on him and, feeling thankful his body was so light, she lifted him, putting herself between Rephaim and the tree. With the bark to her back she told him, Try to hold on to the tree while I slide us down. Then they were falling again as the rough bark ripped Stevie Rae's already blistered and bleeding back. She closed her eyes and felt for the earth, finding it serene and waiting below her. Earth, come to me! Open and shield me! There was a great ripping sound and the ground at the base of the tree broke open just in time for Stevie Rae and Rephaim to slip within a cool, dark pouch in the earth.

Chapter Thirty-six

When Aphrodite started screaming, Zoey knew only one thing to do. Spirit, come to me! she commanded. Spirit instantly filled her with its serene presence. Help Aphrodite calm down. She felt the element leave her, and almost immediately Aphrodite's shrieks quieted to gasps and sobs. Darius, I need Lenobia's cell number. Now! Darius was holding Aphrodite in his arms, but he obeyed Zoey, pulling his phone from his jeans pocket and tossing it to her. It's in the contacts. Willing her hands not to shake, Zoey pulled up the contact list and punched Lenobia's name. She answered on the first ring. Darius? It's Zoey. We have an emergency. Where's Stevie Rae? She went to the depot to try to reason with the other red fledglings. I expected her back by now, though, as it is almost dawn. She's in trouble. Burning! Aphrodite sobbed. She's burning! She's outside somewhere. Aphrodite says she's burning. Oh, Goddess! Can she tell anything else? I could already hear by the change in Lenobia's voice that she was on the move. Aphrodite, can you tell where Stevie Rae is? N-no. Just outside. She doesn't know where she is, only that she's outside. I'll find her, Lenobia said. Call me if Aphrodite can tell us anything else. You call me as soon as Stevie Rae's safe, I said, not able to consider any other outcome. Lenobia disconnected the line. Let's get Aphrodite inside where we can deal with this better, Erce said. She led the way out of the boat and into an enclosed building, only this building wasn't airport hangarlike.